Many vehicles utilize tires to provide contact between the vehicle and a driving surface such as a roadway. Tires may perform a variety of functions, including providing traction, braking, cornering, general handling, vehicle support, shock absorption, and the like.
Many vehicle tires are pneumatic in nature, requiring the tire to maintain an elevated air pressure within the tire in order to properly operate, especially for extended periods. However, loss of this elevated air pressure may severely limit, or even prevent, proper operation of the tire.
As a result, it may be desirable in certain applications to utilize a non-pneumatic vehicle tire, which requires neither air, foam, nor other media to be contained within the tire for proper operation. However, non-pneumatic tires often lack the handling characteristics desired in a vehicle tire. Additionally, non-pneumatic tires may be difficult to manufacture.
What is needed is a non-pneumatic tire having improved handling characteristics and/or is easier to manufacture.